October has become the annual breast cancer awareness month. This is a very good thing but I also find it very confusing. On the one hand it has raised awareness for early screening/detection, improved treatment and many donations and acts of charity. On the other hand our elected government in many states are doing everything possible to close medical service specifically designed for women under the banner of stopping abortions. (think voter identity laws where no problem exist) Medical bankruptcy caused by over inflated life-saving medication cost. (pay or die) Big corporate charities that induce you to buy their product so they, yes, so they can make a donation to the cause. Yes. It's very confusing.
Football fans couldn't miss it because the symbolic color of pink was everywhere. It was on the field, on the fans and at just about every concession stand. The manufacturing business of "pink" products looks to be on a massive scale. Here's a list of "pink" items that I was able to see during the game: hats, arm, wrist and head bans, shoes and laces, towels, ribbons, clipboards, jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters, banners and signs, field markers, souvenir trinkets, wire sleeves and whistle cords, uniforms, gloves, mouth piece guard, blankets, headsets, sunglasses, scarfs and kicking tee. That list twenty-six (26) manufactured "pink" items. Let's not forget the very high cost of producing and broadcasting prime time advertisements for charities and product sponsors. I'm sure I didn't see it all and it leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling. I also wonder about the over-all cost to manufacture these items, the profits, real and tax free, made on these products and just what percentage actually goes to cancer research. That's one hell of a pie getting sliced up.
Is there a better way or is it better than nothing? I'm confused and very uncomfortable.
opinion piece by roman blazic
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